It all started with the rehearsal and dinner at the Turning Stone Casino on Friday night. The evening was slow and relaxed, with all of the friends and family just hanging around and enjoying an adult beverage or two in the Bride and Groom’s suite to end the night. Jeremy gave really cool groomsmen gifts for his guys, like sunglasses made from whiskey barrels! And Sam gave the ladies gorgeous pearl earrings and bracelets by Perrywinkle’s!

They were even so sweet and thoughtful that they got me a little gift! Who does that?? These people. From the bottom of their hearts, so giving and kind. Samantha found these beautiful earrings that have little camera lenses inside. So cool and a great gift. I love them and may just start wearing them at my weddings….

Everyone got ready at The Lodge and I bounced between the second and third floors all morning as the crowd got ready. I surprised Samantha with my own gift… a custom hanger for her bridal gown. The hanger was made by one of my other past Brides who is just starting an Etsy business. She loved making all of the details for her own wedding and I encouraged her to create a line of hangers that I can use for my weddings. I love it because it is simple, creative, classic and is much better than the clear plastic hanger that all wedding gowns come with.

Lest you believe they are all class, there was a toilet paper delivery on a silver platter as well as a platter of shots of Buttery Nipples. All of that was outdone however by Jeremy’s thoughtful gift to Samantha, a beautiful bracelet.

Once the girls were ready, I headed downstairs for pre-ceremony images. The coordinator told me that there was a storm headed our way in 7-10 minutes. I told her that the Bride was ready to roll and would want to just get to it! So, she quickly ushered all of the guests out of the air-conditioned lobby into the humidity and to the ceremony site. Minutes later, Samantha was walking down the aisle to get married.

The officiant QUICKLY ran through the ceremony, only slowed by very appropriately timed LOUD cracks of thunder…. like when she spoke: “so long as you both shall live”.

At the very end, it started to drizzle and then all of a sudden, the skies opened up. Everyone raced inside before we got completely drenched! It made for great photos though. I always joke about my “Sunny Day Guarantee” and how I am so tired of only having bright sun in my wedding photos…. well, this was karma catching up with me.

Thankfully, the timeline allowed plenty of time for everyone to freshen up / dry off before family portraits and bridal party photos. The lobby was spacious and full of gorgeous natural light, and most importantly… air conditioned. Once it stopped raining fully, the family formals were complete and the formal bridal party images were taken, we hopped in a shuttle an roamed the grounds for more photos at Turning Stone.

Of course, the bright sun was BACK in full force, just to drive me nuts.

We were all dying from the humidity again, so I let the bridal party relax at the clubhouse and grab some food to tide them over while Jeremy, Samantha and I went back to the ceremony site for images. Within minutes of being out there, the next big storm rolled through! I’m SO thankful that I left the bridal party behind this time because I would have lost all of that time just herding everyone.

Samantha, Jeremy and I decided to ride out the storm in their hotel room and freshen up for the reception. That storm had sideways rain, so not even the shuttle would have saved us! We stood out on the balcony, overlooking their ceremony location which had quickly become a swamp and marveled at the day. Samantha freshened up her curls and tried to clean the mud off of her shoes while Jeremy and I scarfed down a bagel! Ah, the exotic life of a wedding photographer!

The rest of the evening went right on schedule and was perfectly planned. Lucky for the couple, Erich the DJ was OK to work and he got the party going. There was a photo booth and an ice sculpture luge to contend with, however he held his own.

For me, I loved seeing all of the different ways that the couple thought to incorporate their engagement pictures. Together, we created a custom guestbook, save the dates, loose prints for the home, a little pocket accordion book, a metal wall print for the home, event cards so the guests know where to find my images and my favorite: custom poker chips!

Before I left, we popped into the photo booth together and Jeremy finally got me to have a drink with him. It was a perfect way to end a crazy and long wedding day. I wouldn’t pull those sort of hours for just anyone and these two made it feel like a fun day… not a work day! Congratulations and three cheers to the happy couple!! I’ll have a drink with you anytime!

Like this:

Tim and I were honored to be included in your special day. The attention to detail was phenomenal, while at the same time the down-to-earth atmosphere made every guest fell at home. I believe that it is a testament to the loving care you both have for each other, and the fun-filled life you are embarking upon.